Classification of Buying Motives: Product Buying and Patronage Buying

Buying motive is the urge or motive to satisfy a desire or need that makes people buy goods or services. Behind every purchase there is a buying motive.

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It refers to the thoughts, feelings, emotions and instincts, which arouse in the buyers a desire to buy an article. A buyer does not buy because s/he has been persuaded by the salesman, but s/he buys for the aroused desire in him or her. Motives should be distinguished from instincts.

A motive is simply a reason for carrying out a particular behaviour and not an automatic response to a stimulus, whereas instincts are pre-programmed responses, which are inborn in the individual and involuntary. Thus hunger is an instinct whereas desire to purchase pizza is a buying motive. According to Prof. D. J. Duncan, “Buying Motives are those influences or considerations which provide the impulse to buy, induce action and determine choice in the purchase of goods and services.” Buying motives are can be divided by the following way:

Product Buying Motives:

Product buying motives refer to those influences and reasons, which prompt (i.e. induce) a buyer to choose a particular product in preference to other products. They include the physical attraction of the product (i.e. the design, shape, dimension, size, colour, package, performance, price etc. of the product) or the psychological attraction of the product (i.e. the enhancement of the social prestige or status of the purchaser through its possession), desire to remove or reduce the danger or damage to life or body of the possessor, etc. In short, they refer to all those characteristics of a product, which induce a buyer to buy it in preference to other products.

A. Promotional Product Buying Motives:

When a buyer decides to purchase a product without thinking over the matter logically and carefully (i.e., without much reasoning), she is said to have been influenced by emotional product buying motives. Emotional product buying motives include the following:

1. Pride or Prestige:

Pride is the most common and strongest emotional buying motive. Many buyers are proud of possessing some product (i.e., they feel that the possession of the product increases their social prestige or status). In fact, many products are sold by the sellers by appealing to the pride prestige of the buyers. For instance, diamond merchants sell their products by suggesting to the buyers that the possession of diamonds increases their prestige or social status.

2. Emulation or Imitation:

Emulation, i.e., the desire to imitate others, is one of the important emotional buying motives. For instance, a housewife may like to have a silk saree for the simple reason that all the neighbouring housewives have silk sarees.

3. Affection:

Affection or love for others is one of the stronger emotional buying motives influencing the purchasing decisions of the buyers. Many goods are purchased by the buyers because of their affection or love for others. For instance, a husband may buy a costly silk saree for his wife or a father buy a costly watch for his son or daughter out of his affection and love.

4. Comfort or desire for comfort:

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Desire for comfort (i.e., comfortable living) is one of the important emotional buying motives. In fact, many products are bought comfort. For instance, fans, refrigerators, washing machines, cushion beds, etc. are bought by people because of their desire for comfort.

5. Sex appeal or sexual attractions:

Sex appeal is one of the important emotional buying motives of the buyers. Buyers buy and use certain things, as they want to be attractive to the members of the opposite sex. Men and women buy cosmetics, costly dresses, etc., because of this emotional motive, i.e., sex appeal.

6. Ambition:

Ambition is one of the emotional buying motives. Ambition refers to the desire to achieve a definite goal. It is because of this buying motive that, sometimes, customers buy certain things. For instance, it is the ambition that makes many people, who do not have the facilities to pursue their college education through regular colleges, pursue their education through correspondence courses.

7. Desire for distinctiveness or individuality:

Desire for distinctiveness, i.e., desire to be distinct from others, is one of the important emotional buying motives. Sometimes, customers buy certain things, because they want to be in possession of things, which are not possessed by others. Purchasing and wearing a particular type of dress by some people is because of their desire for distinctiveness or individuality.

8. Desire for recreation or pleasure:

Desire for recreation or pleasure is also one of the emotional buying motives. For instance, radios, musical instruments, etc. are bought by people because of their desire for recreation or pleasure.

9. Hunger and thirst:

Hunger and thirst are also one of the important emotional buying motives. Foodstuffs, drinks, etc. are bought by the people because of this motive.

10. Habit:

Habit is one of the emotional considerations influencing the purchasing decision of the customers. Many customers buy a particular thing because of habit, (i.e. because they are used to the consumption of the product). For instance, many people purchase cigarettes, liquors, etc. because of sheer habit.

B. Rational Product Buying Motives:

When a buyer decides to buy a certain thing after careful consideration (i.e. after thinking over the matter consciously and logically), s/he is said to have been influenced by rational product buying motives. Rational product buying motives include the following:

1. Safety or Security:

Desire for safety or security is an important rational buying motive influencing many purchases. For instance, iron safes or safety lockers are bought by the people because they want to safeguard their cash, jewelries etc., against theft. Similarly, vitamin tablets, tonics, medicines, etc., are bought by the people because of this motive, i.e. they want to safeguard their health and protect themselves against diseases.

2. Economy:

Economy, i.e. saving in operating costs, is one of the important rational buying motives. For instance, Hero Honda bikes are preferred by the people because of the economy or saving in the operating cost, i.e. petrol costs.

3. Relatively low price:

Relatively low price is one of the rational buying motives. Most of the buyers compare the prices of competing products and buy things, which are relatively cheaper.

4. Suitability:

Suitability of the products for the needs is one of the rational buying motives. Intelligent buyers consider the suitability of the products before buying them. For instance, a buyer, who has a small dining room, naturally, goes in for a small dining table that is suitable, i.e. that fits in well in the small dining room.

5. Utility or versatility:

Versatility or the utility of a product refers to that quality of the product, which makes it suitable for a variety of uses. Utility of the product is one of the important rational buying motives. People, often, purchase things that have utility, i.e. that can be put to varied uses.

6. Durability of the product:

Durability of the product is one of the most important rational buying motives. Many products are bought by the people only on the basis of their durability. For instance, buyers of wooden furniture go in for teak or rosewood table, though they are costlier, as they are more durable than ordinary wooden furniture.

7. Convenience of the product:

The convenience of the product (i.e. the convenience the product offers to the buyers) is one of the important rational product buying motives. Many products are bought by the people because they are more convenient to them. For instance, automatic watches, gas stoves, etc., are bought by the people because of the convenience provided by them.

Patronage Buying Motives:

Patronage buying motives refer to those considerations or reasons, which prompt a buyer to buy the product wanted by him from a particular shop in preference to other shops. In other words, they are those considerations or reasons, which make a buyer, patronise a particular shop in preference to other shops while buying a product.

A. Emotional Patronage Buying Motives:

When a buyer patronises a shop (i.e. purchases the things required by him from a particular shop) without applying his mind or without reasoning, he is said to have been influenced by emotional patronage buying motives. Emotional patronage buying motives include the following:

1. Appearance of the shop:

Appearance of the shop is one of the important emotional patronage buying motives. Some people make their purchases from a particular shop because of good or attractive appearance of the shop,

2. Display of goods in the shop:

Attractive display of goods in the shop also makes the buyers patronise a particular shop.

3. Recommendation of others:

Recommendation of others also constitutes one of the important emotional patronage buying motives. Some people purchase their requirements from a particular shop because that shop has been recommended to them by others, i.e., by their friends and relatives.

4. Imitation:

Imitation also is one of the emotional patronage buying motives influencing the purchases of buyers. Some people make their purchases from a particular shop just because other people make their purchases from that shop.

5. Prestige:

Prestige is one of the emotional patronage buying motives of the buyers. For instance, some people consider it a prestige to take coffee from a five-star hotel.

6. Habit:

Habit is also one of the important emotional patronage buying motives. Some people make their purchases from a particular shop for the simple reason that they have been habitually making their purchases from that shop.

B. Rational Patronage Buying Motives:

When a buyer patronises a shop after careful consideration (i.e. after much logical reasoning and careful thinking) he is said to have been influenced by rational patronage buying motives. Rational patronage buying motives include the following:

1. Convenience:

Convenient location proximity of a shop is one of the considerations influencing the purchases of many buyers from a particular shop. Many buyers, usually, buy their requirements from a near-by shop, as it is convenient to them to make their purchases.

Similarly, convenient working hours of the shop also influence the purchases of good many buyers. For instance, if a shop works for a longer period of time every day and even on Sundays, it will be very convenient to the buyers. As such, many buyers may make their purchases from such a shop.

2. Low price charged by the shop:

Price charged by the shop also influences the buyers to patronise a particular shop. If the price charged by a shop for a particular product is relatively cheaper, naturally, many people will make their purchases from that shop.

3. Credit facilities offered:

The credit facilities offered by a store also influence the buying of some people from a particular shop. People who do not have enough money to make cash purchases every time prefer to make their purchases from a shop which offers credit facilities.

4. Services offered:

The various sales and after-sale services, such as acceptance of orders through phone, home delivery of goods, repair service, etc., offered by a shop also induce the buyers to buy their requirements from that shop. Rational buyers are, often, influenced by the various services or facilities offered by the shop.

5. Efficiency of salesmen:

The efficiency of the salesmen employed by a shop also influences the people in patronising a particular shop. If the employees are efficient and are capable of helping the buyers in making their purchases, people naturally would flock to such a shop.

6. Wide choice:

Wide choice of goods offered by a shop is one of the rational considerations making the buyers patronise a particular shop. People generally prefer to make their purchases from a shop, which offers wide choice (i.e. wide varieties of goods).

7. Treatment:

The treatment meted out by a shop to the customers is one of the rational considerations influencing the buyers to patronise a particular shop. Usually, people would like to purchase their requirements from a shop where they get courteous treatment.

8. Reputation of the shop:

Reputation of the shop for honest dealings is also one of the rational patronage buying motives. Usually, people would like to make their purchases from a store having reputation for fair dealings.